DCCC classes change life

Patty Swing Lexington

Thursday

Jan 31, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Editor: My story about how Davidson County Community College has changed my life does not apply to getting a degree from the college, but instead, how being able to first take Adult Education Classes and most recently online classes has made a tremendous difference in my life.As a child, I loved art. I always excelled in any project that involved drawing, painting, making posters, etc. When I graduated in 1956 from North Davidson High School, I wanted very badly to go to college, but my family finances would not allow me to do this. I went straight into a full-time job. A few years later, I learned about the Adult Education Classes that were available at DCCC. I began taking these classes in sewing, first aid, music and anything else that caught my interest. Finally I began art classes. Although I had the ability to paint and draw, I didn't know proper perspective and how to mix and blend paints. Through the years I took many classes.I loved painting pictures of old historical places in and near my community. In 1990, soon after retiring from work, I decided to do something that I had thought about for a long time. I did three limited-edition art prints. There were 500 prints made of each one. All were of old buildings in my community that had been important to many people. I was very fortunate in that the pictures really sold. For me this was a dream come true.About a year ago, I discovered something else that DCCC offered; this was online classes. I began taking these classes. Most of them were in writing. I have always written poems and short stories. After taking several months of classes, I began writing a book. These classes are wonderful, and the instructors are so very helpful.I am now about halfway through writing my book. I will probably never do anything with it except leave it to my children, but I am finding this project very fulfilling. I intend to keep taking online classes as long as I can. Thanks DCCC for helping me do something that has been very rewarding.

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